Level 3 Massage Therapies students Samantha, Poppy and Brooke in SCG's Evolve Hair & Beauty Salon

Three SCG students, who are currently studying the Level 3 Diploma in Massage Therapies, have been offered coveted jobs at Lion Quays Hotel & Spa near Oswestry.

The students visited Lion Quays in October with the college and met the spa manager Sarah, who spoke to them about careers and explained the path she took to achieve her current role.

Inspired by Sarah’s talk, Brooke Roberts (18), Samantha Rogers (18) and Poppy Davis (19) chose to do their December work placements (which is a requirement of their course) at Lion Quays.

The students worked in the spa for two weeks and impressed the staff so much with their knowledge and professionalism that all three of them were offered part-time jobs as spa therapists.

Both Sarah and the assistant spa manager, Lauren, previously worked on luxury Steiner Cruises, meaning that their positive assessments were highly valued by the students.

Lauren congratulated SCG’s Hair & Beauty staff for training “a phenomenal calibre of therapist”. She continued: “Every single student we have had has been exceptional. They have a fantastic work ethic and are extremely eager to learn.”

Level 3 Massage Therapies students visit Lion Quays Hotel & Spa Resort

The Level 3 Massage Therapies students on a visit to Lion Quays Hotel & Spa in October 2021.

Poppy explained that studying Massage Therapies has not only provided her with the technical skills she uses at work, but it has also given her the confidence to succeed in a spa due to her experiences treating external clients in SCG’s Hair & Beauty Training Academy.

Due to Covid restrictions, Brooke, Samantha and Poppy had fewer opportunities than usual to treat external clients during their first year at college on the Level 2 Diploma in Beauty Therapy. Melanie Pountney, Beauty Therapy Teacher, expressed how proud she was of the students for impressing the staff of a luxury spa despite having comparatively limited experiences of high-pressure situations at the time.

All three students are now working part-time at Lion Quays and are planning to increase their hours once they have finished college. The Massage Therapies course is designed to allow room for students to work professionally in the industry while studying and Lion Quays has been very accommodating of the students’ schedules.

Finding part-time work in a luxury spa marks an excellent start to the students’ careers in beauty therapy. Brooke emphasised how much of a progression this has been from her last job as a waitress in a local pub.

“Even though I travel almost an hour to get there, it’s definitely worth it,” she said. “I’ve done six shifts at Lion Quays this week and earned the same amount as I would have made in thirty shifts where I used to work.”

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